Garment for assisting holding an infant

ABSTRACT

A garment for assisting a user holding an infant is provided. The garment may include a first portion, a second portion, a first sleeve, and a second sleeve. The second portion may be configured to overlap the first portion when the garment is worn by the user. The first sleeve and the second sleeve may each extend from the first portion and the second portion, respectively. The first portion may define an elongated opening. The elongated opening may be positioned to provide access through the opening and to the infant from the outside of the garment while the first portion remains covered by the second portion. The garment may also include at least one fastener attached thereto. The at least one fastener may be positioned relative to the opening and may comprise at least one loop to secure at least part of a tubing or wire extending from the infant. The garment may also comprise a locking mechanism that can adjust the loop to the size of the tubing

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/454,133 filed Nov. 9, 2021, which claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. Prov. Pat. App. 63/146,122 filed Feb. 5, 2021; thisapplication also claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Prov. Pat. App.63/236,307 filed Aug. 24, 2021, the contents of each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to medical garments and methodsfor carrying an infant to provide skin-to-skin contact between the userand the infant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Infants often require hospitalization and some may require the care of aneonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Skin-to-skin contact, or kangaroocare, between the infant and a patient (e.g., the mother) has been knownas a valuable therapy for infants. However, many neonatal intensive careunits may have barriers to practicing skin-to-skin contact. Lack ofdevices, methods, techniques, wire or tubing management, and patientmodesty are some examples of barriers to such contact.

Skin-to-skin contact is important because oxytocin and milk productionmay be increased with a mother holding her infant. Many infants in theNICU have an endotracheal tube or CPAP tube attached to their body,making breastfeeding impossible. In addition, most premature babies donot know how to breastfeed yet, so they need a feeding tube instead.Therefore, giving mothers the opportunity to capture their milk via apump while performing skin-to-skin contact is important, particularly inthe NICU. Since mother's milk provides numerous benefits to the infant'shealth, the mother having the option to pump while holding her infant inskin-to-skin contact can be extremely valuable for the long-term healthof the infant.

Infants often have various important tubing attached to them when theyare in the care of the NICU. In many ways, these tubing arrangements canhinder skin-to-skin practices or disturb a mother and her infant. Forexample, condensation in CPAP tubing can build up over time due tosuboptimal positioning of the tubing. As a result, a NICU nurse may haveto empty the tubing often, disturbing the patient and their infant.Other checks on the infant may occur hourly, adding more disturbance tothe patient and their infant.

As such, a need exists for devices and methods that can allow a patientto practice skin-to-skin contact with their infant while managing themedical equipment or tubing attached to the infant. There also exists aneed for devices and methods that allow a nurse to check on the infantwithout disturbing skin-to-skin contact between the infant and thepatient or disturbing the modesty of the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One variation of a garment for assisting a user holding an infant mayinclude a first portion and a second portion configured to overlap thefirst portion when the garment is worn by the user. The first portionmay define an elongated opening. The elongated opening may be positionedto provide access through the opening and to the infant from the outsideof the garment while the first portion remains covered by the secondportion. The garment may also include a first sleeve and a secondsleeve. The first sleeve and the second sleeve may each extend from thefirst portion and the second portion respectively. The garment may alsoinclude at least one fastener attached to the garment. The at least onefastener may be positioned relative to the opening to secure at leastpart of a tubing or wire extending from the infant.

The at least one fastener may comprise a locking mechanism. The lockingmechanism may be configured to pull away from the user when the lockingmechanism transitions from a locked configuration to an unlockedconfiguration. The garment may have a plurality of fasteners. Theplurality of fasteners may each comprise a plurality of loops eachconfigured to hold at least part of the medical tubing extending fromthe infant. The plurality of loops on one fastener may extend atdifferent angles with respect to the plurality of loops on anotherfastener. The plurality of fasteners may each comprise a lockingmechanism configured to pull away from the user when the lockingmechanism transitions from a locked configuration to an unlockedconfiguration.

The elongated opening may extend vertically along the front portion. Theelongated opening may extend horizontally along the front portion. Theat least one fastener may comprise a plurality of loops configured tohold at least part of the tubing extending from the infant. Theplurality of loops may each be placed at different angles with respectto the at least one fastener. The at least one fastener may beconfigured to be detached from the garment. The at least one fastenermay be configured to be repositioned on the garment. The garment mayinclude a second elongated opening on the second portion. The secondelongated opening may be positioned to provide access through theopening and to the infant from outside of the garment. The at least onefastener may be attached to the garment at the first portion and thefirst sleeve. The garment may further comprise sensing fabricsconfigured to monitor physiological characteristics of the user and theinfant. The at least one fastener may be L-shaped. The at least onefastener may be T-shaped. The at least one fastener may have asubstantially straight shape. The at least one fastener may be locatedon the first sleeve. The at least one fastener may be located on thesecond sleeve.

The garment may include a cover. The cover may be secured to at least aportion of a support for supporting the user. The cover may have a backportion, a front portion, a side portion, and at least one coverfastener attached to the cover. The at least one cover fastener may bepositioned relative to the opening to secure at least part of the tubingor wire extending from the infant.

One variation of a method of assisting a user holding an infant mayinclude placing a garment around the user and the infant. The garmentmay have a first portion, a second portion, a first sleeve extendingfrom the first portion, and a second sleeve extending from the secondportion. The method may also include overlapping the first portion withthe second portion when the garment is worn by the user while holdingthe infant. The first portion may define an elongated opening which ispositioned to provide access through the opening and to the infant fromoutside of the garment while the first portion remains covered by thesecond portion. The method may also include securing at least part of atubing or wire extending from the infant with at least one fastenerpositioned relative to the opening.

The method may also comprise locking the at least one fastener with alocking mechanism. The locking mechanism may be configured to pull awayfrom the user when the locking mechanism transitions from a lockedconfiguration to an unlocked configuration. The garment may comprise aplurality of fasteners. The at least one fastener may comprise aplurality of loops each configured to hold at least part of the tubingextending from the infant. The plurality of loops may each be placed atdifferent angles with respect to the at least one fastener. The methodmay also comprise detaching the at least one fastener from the garment.The at least one fastener may be configured to be repositioned on thegarment.

Another variation of the garment for assisting a user holding an infantmay include a first portion, a second portion, a back portion, a firstsleeve, and a second sleeve. The first sleeve may extend from the firstportion. The second sleeve may extend from the second portion. The firstportion may define an elongated opening positioned to provide accessthrough the opening and to the infant from outside of the garment whilethe first portion remains covered by the second portion. The opening maybe at least partially closed with at least one tab.

The garment may include a first fastener attached to the garment at thefirst portion. The first fastener may have an L-shape. The firstfastener may comprise a locking mechanism. The first fastener maycomprise a plurality of loops each configured to hold at least part ofthe medical tubing extending from the infant.

The garment may include a second fastener attached to the garment at thesecond portion. The second fastener may have an L-shape. The secondfastener may comprise a locking mechanism. The second fastener maycomprise a plurality of loops each configured to hold at least part ofthe medical tubing extending from the infant.

The garment may include a third fastener attached to the garment at thefirst portion and the back portion. The third fastener may have aT-shape. The third fastener may comprise a locking mechanism. The thirdfastener may comprise a plurality of loops each configured to hold atleast part of the medical tubing extending from the infant.

The garment may include a fourth fastener attached to the garment at thesecond portion and the back portion. The fourth fastener may have aT-shape. The fourth fastener may comprise a locking mechanism. Thefourth fastener may comprise a plurality of loops each configured tohold at least part of the medical tubing extending from the infant.

The fasteners may have various shapes, including a straight shape. Thefasteners may also have various modes of use with the differentcomponents of the garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a front view of a medical garment.

FIG. 1B shows a close-up front view of the medical garment.

FIG. 2A shows a front view of another variation of the medical garment.

FIG. 2B shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment having pockets.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment having a tie attached to the garment.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment.

FIGS. 6A to 6J show front views of various fasteners and fastenercomponents that can be attached to the medical garment.

FIG. 6K shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment.

FIG. 7A shows a front view of yet another variation of the medicalgarment.

FIGS. 7B to 7D show front views of various fasteners and tabs that canbe attached to the medical garment.

FIGS. 7E to 7G show perspective views of the medical garment in use by apatient holding an infant.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of the medical garment and a chair cover inuse by a patient sitting in a chair holding an infant.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a chair cover positioned over achair.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show front views of variations of the medical garmenthaving infant toys attached thereto.

FIG. 10C shows a back view of another variation of the medical garmenthaving fasteners attached thereto.

FIGS. 10D and 10E show front views of pockets attached to the medicalgarment.

FIGS. 10F to 10I show various views of fasteners and loops configured toattach toys and tabs to one variation of the medical garment.

FIGS. 10J to 10N show various views of toys that may attach to thegarment via various means.

FIG. 10O shows a view of yet another variation of a fastener with tubingpassed therethrough.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show front views of yet another variation of themedical garment having cloth tape attached thereto.

FIGS. 11C and 11D show various views of cloth tape having attachmentmeans.

FIGS. 12A to 12D show front views of yet another variation of themedical garment having a wrapped portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various exemplary medical garments and methods are provided for holdingan infant in a manner that provides skin-to-skin contact between theuser and the infant while managing tubing attached to the infant. Ingeneral, the methods and devices allow an infant to be securely heldagainst the user's chest to provide the benefits of skin-to-skincontact, while managing different size tubing or wires around the bodyof the user.

FIG. 1A shows one exemplary embodiment of a medical garment 10. Themedical garment 10 may comprise a first garment portion 12, a secondgarment portion 14, a first sleeve 16, and a second sleeve 18. Thegarment may be in the form of a shirt, blouse, or the like and may beworn as such. Sleeves 16 and 18 may be configured in any suitablemanner, for example, as oversized or kimono-like sleeves forcomfortability. The first portion 12 and the second portion 14 may beconfigured to wrap around or overlap each other to cover the user andthe infant while maintaining skin-to-skin contact. As will be furtherdescribed herein, various fasteners 22 may be attached on the garment 10to manage and secure various tubes or wires which are attached to aninfant. Similarly, the garment 10 can have loops 26 to manage and securesuch tubes. The loops 26 may be placed at any angles and in anyconfigurations on the garment 10. Additionally, loops 26 may compriseattachable hook-and-loop fastener (e.g., Velcro®) holders that mayattach tubes within the loops and to the fasteners 22. The hook-and-loopfastener holders may optionally secure the tubing 28 in one or moreplaces along the garment 10. Alternatively, tubing may be gathered witha secure tie which ties the tubing onto the loops 26. The loops 26 maybe sewn on the garment 10.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the medical garment 10 may have an opening 20 thatprovides access to an infant while the user is holding the infant. Theopening 20 may be in the range of, e.g., 5 to 10 inches, or morespecifically, e.g., 5 to 8 inches, but may have a variety of differentlengths as appreciated by a person having ordinary skill in the art.Additionally, the opening 20 may be positioned vertical, horizontal, orat an angle with respect to the garment 10. FIG. 1B shows the opening 20positioned on the first portion 12, however, the opening may optionallybe positioned on the second portion 14. Alternatively, there may be anopening 20 on both the first portion 12 and the second portion 14.

The opening 20 may be positioned on the garment in a location where anoutside user or practitioner (e.g., a nurse, doctor, etc.) may haveaccess to the infant. For example, an infant may be in skin-to-skincontact with the user such as a patient, mother, or care-provider whilethe nurse may check the infant through opening 20 without interruptingcontact between the infant and the user. The user may remain coveredwhile a nurse accesses the infant through opening 20. Some examples ofchecks on the infant may be for documenting wounds, lines, epidurals,and adjusting pulse oximeter and/or other devices as needed. The opening20 may also allow a nurse to perform heel sticks and other procedures onthe infant while the infant is comforted during such procedures.

The opening 20 may be useful for additional purposes beyond evaluatingthe infant. One such purpose may be to allow for a mother to capturemilk using breast pump flanges during skin-to-skin contact. Becauseoxytocin and milk production are increased during skin-to-skin contact,it may be desirable to allow for breast pump flanges to easily passthrough the opening 20. Further, premature infants may need to feedthrough a feeding tube. Other infants in the NICU may have anendotracheal tube or another tube attached to them, making breastfeedingalmost impossible. Therefore, offering the user the option to pump whileholding the infant may be valuable for the infant's long-term health.

The opening 20 may have a number of tabs 24 that may open and closeportions of the opening 20. The tabs 24 may be positioned over theopening 20 to facilitate access to check on infant or to introducebreast pump flanges without disturbing the infant or the patient. Thetabs 24 do not require that the nurse or other user to push on the tabsto close them. Instead, tabs 24 may incorporate a lift-up snap closurefeature designed to pull away from the infant so that closing the tabs24 does not push on the fragile skin of the infant. The tabs 24 may alsoprovide a closure mechanism so that the infant may be prevented fromfalling out of the opening 20 when being held by the user.

The garment may be intended for use in the NICU but may also be used inan adult or pediatric ICU with various patient populations. Theconfigurations of the opening 20, the fasteners 22, the tabs 24, and theloops 26 of the garment 10 may vary based on where tubes are beingmanaged and prevented from being pulled. For example, for adult patients(i.e., patients not carrying an infant), a horizontal opening on thegarment may be used. Other garments may have special pockets forequipment (e.g., telemetry) and may also use biomedical sensor fabricwithin.

FIG. 2A shows another variation of the medical garment 10 havingfasteners 22 attached thereto. Fasteners 22 may be strategically placedon the garment 10 depending on need. For example, some fasteners (e.g.,fastener 22 a) in FIG. 2A are placed on the garment 10 where thepatient's shoulders would be in order to allow for placement of tubingaway from the infant. As seen in FIG. 2A, those fasteners 22 may beplaced over the shoulder attached to the back side of the garment 10 orcompletely on the front portion of the garment 10. Other fasteners(e.g., fasteners 22 b and 22 c) may be placed on the garment closer tothe opening 20 to allow for easier positioning of tubing near theinfant. Similar to opening 20, fasteners 22 may have tabs 24 that liftaway from the infant to secure and hold the tubing in at least oneplace. Fasteners 22 may also have various configurations and shapes, aswill be further described herein.

To hold medical tubing attached to the infant, the fasteners 22 maycomprise fastener loops 34. The fastener loops 34 may be strategicallyplaced on a surface of the fastener (see fastener 22 b, for example)such that tubing 28 may be passed through the fastener loop 34 withoutadded manipulation of the fastener 22 itself. Alternatively, fastenerloops 34 may be placed within the fastener surface (see fastener 22 c,for example) such that tubing 28 may be passed through the fastener 22itself. This may allow for more security and stability of the tubing 28when held within the fastener 22. Tubing 28 may also be attached to theback or shoulder portion of the garment 10 to increase security.Increased security may decrease the risk of tubing being pulled out fromtheir proper position or being moved and pulled on the infant's face orbody. FIG. 2B shows another variation of garment 10 where the fasteners22 a on the shoulder of the garment are both placed on the front side ofthe garment 10.

FIG. 3 shows yet another variation of the medical garment 10 havingloops 26 near the shoulder area of the garment 10. Fasteners 22 d may beplaced around the neck area of the garment 10, or near opening 20. Loops26 may also be placed near opening 20, which may also have tubingpassing through. It should be understood that the placement, shape, andquantity of the fasteners 22 and loops 26 on the garment 10 can becustomizable based on the desired tubing or wire management.

Garment 10 may also include pockets 32 positioned on the first garmentportion 12, the second garment portion 14, or both portions. The pockets32 may be placed towards the lower part of the garment 10 so as to notinterfere with tubing or wiring when the pocket 32 is being accessed bya user or a nurse. The placement and specific size of the pocket 32 onthe garment may be designed to house various biomedical sensors and/or atelemetry box. Biomedical sensors may be used for gathering pathologicaland/or physiological information of the infant or the patient. Inaddition, biomedical sensor fabrics may be used on the garment 10 whichmay directly monitor vital signs or sounds such as bowel sounds of theinfant. These sensors may be added to the garment 10 in such a way tomake skin-to-skin time more comfortable and safe for both the infant andthe patient. However, it should be appreciated that any fabric may beused for the garment. Additionally, in order to maintain the garment 10in a closed configuration upon the user, one or more color-codedfasteners or ties 27 may be provided on the garment to hold the firstand second portions in a closed configuration when in use upon the user.

FIG. 4 shows yet another variation of the medical garment 10 havinganother combination of fasteners 22 and loops 26 positioned on thegarment 10. In this embodiment, fasteners 22 a may be placed over bothshoulders of the garment 10, extending to the backside of the garment.Fasteners 22 d may be placed near the neck area of the garment. Loops 26may be positioned on both the first portion 12 and the second portion 14in order to route tubing or wiring on both sides of the garment 10.

The first portion 12 and the second portion 14 may also be connected orsecured together by a tie 30. The tie 30 may be colored or color-codedto allow for easier manipulation of the tie 30 when the garment 10 isholding and managing multiple tubes. Tying the front portion 12 and thesecond portion 14 together may also allow for increased modesty coveragefor the patient. Methods of tying may be accomplished by stringsattached the front portion 12 and the second portion 14 or anymodifications or variations of tying thereof.

FIG. 5 shows yet another variation of the medical garment 10 havingfasteners 22 a placed over the shoulder of the garment 10 and fasteners22 e and 22 f placed closer to the opening 20 of the garment. As seen inFIG. 5 , the infant may be placed near the opening 20 to facilitatechecks on the infant without uncovering the patient. Additionally, tie30 may allow the first portion 12 and the second portion 14 tooptionally hold together to provide additional privacy for the patient.Loops 26 may also be placed around the garment for extra securement andmanagement of tubing or wires.

FIGS. 6A to 6J show close-up views of various fasteners and combinationsof components of fasteners in further detail. FIG. 6A shows fastener 22a, which may have a T-shape or have a substantially T-shapedconfiguration. As seen in embodiments of garment 10, the T-shapedfasteners 22 a may be placed on the shoulder portion of the garment 10.It should also be understood that the fasteners may be placed anywhereon the garment 10 according to desired tubing and wire management.Fasteners 22 a may include a portion having loops 26 to hold tubingalong an outer surface of the fastener 22 a and another portion havingtabs 24 to hold tubing 28 within the fastener.

FIG. 6B shows views of fastener 22 b. Fastener 22 b may be configured ina straight or substantially straight configuration. Similar to theT-shaped fastener 22 a, the straight fastener 22 b may have loops 26 tohold tubing along an outer surface of the fastener. FIG. 6C showsfastener 22 c, which may also be a straight fastener. Fastener 22 cvaries from fastener 22 b in that one portion of the fastener 22 c maycomprise tabs 24 to facilitate passing tubing 28 within the fastener.The fasteners may be configured in various configurations, such asVelcro® fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, and the like.

FIG. 6D shows yet another variation of a fastener. Fastener 22 d may beconfigured as having a straight shape having tabs 24 to hold a tubingwithin the fastener. A clip 38 may be attached to fastener 22 d. Clip 38may be used to enable the fastener to attach anywhere onto garment 10.The clip 38 may be actuated by hand allowing for the fastener 22 d to beeasily repositionable along the garment 10 if a different configurationof tubing management is desired. It should be understood that clip 38may be used among all of the different variations of fasteners and maybe positioned on any location of the fastener itself.

FIGS. 6E and 6F show yet another variation of a T-shaped fastener 22 awith an extra section having tabs 24 extending therefrom. The fastenersshown in FIGS. 6E and 6F may be configured for right and left shoulders,respectively, though it should be understood that the fasteners may beused at any location on the garment.

FIG. 6G shows yet another variation of a fastener, fastener 22 e, whichmay have an L-shape or have a substantially L-shaped configuration. Asseen in FIG. 6G, the loops 26 of fastener 22 e may be positioned alongthe fastener. Additionally, loops 26 may have different angles anddifferent lengths as desired for tubing management. For example, theloops may be placed and secure tubing with respect to the position ofvarious machines in a hospital room. The fastener 22 e may also havetabs 24 to hold tubing within the fastener itself. FIG. 6H shows yetanother variation of the substantially straight fastener 22 c of FIG. 6Chaving additional tabs 24.

Fasteners 22 are made using components shown in FIGS. 6I and 6J. FIG. 6Ishows fastener component 22 f which may have any number of tabs 24 tohold tubing with the fastener. FIG. 6J shows fastener component 22 gwhich may have any number of loops 26 positioned to hold tubing orhook-and-loop fasteners components on the surface of the fastener.Fasteners of different configurations shown in previous figures may alsobe created using various positioning and various quantities of thecomponents shown. For example, the T-shaped fastener 22 a shown in FIG.6A may be created using two of fastener component 22 g and one offastener component 22 f arranged in the configuration shown. It shouldbe appreciated that any arrangement and any number of fastenercomponents 22 f, 22 g may be used to create any shape, configuration,and/or quantity of fasteners to be used on the garment 10.

FIG. 6K shows yet another variation of a garment 10 with T-shapedfasteners 22 a on either side of the garment 10 and L-shaped fasteners22 e on either side of garment 10. A tab 24 may also be placed on thefirst portion 12 or the second portion 14 to connect the portionstogether. This may allow the user to control modesty and discretion asdesired.

Fasteners 22 may be attached onto garment 10 in any method. For example,the fasteners 22 may be sewn onto garment 10 at desired locations on thegarment. As noted above, fasteners 22 may also be clipped onto thegarment 10 for ease in repositioning the fastener. Other attachmentmeans may be used as necessary.

FIG. 7A shows yet another variation of a garment 10 with T-shapedfasteners 22 a that may be placed on both shoulder portions of garment10. L-shaped fastener may be placed on garment 10 closer to opening 20.As previously discussed, the garment 10 may be closed by tie 30 whichmay be colored to distinguish the tie 30 from any tubing. FIG. 7B showsanother variation of an L-shaped fastener 22 e. The fastener 22 e may beattached to garment 10 by any suitable attachment means. Similarly, theT-shaped fastener 22 a in FIG. 7C may be attached to garment 10 by anysuitable attachment means. FIG. 7D shows a close-up view of opening 20with tabs 24.

FIGS. 7E to 7G show perspective views of a user or patient 40 wearinggarment 10 while holding an infant 36. As can be seen in FIG. 7E, theuser 40 may hold the infant 36 close to her body while the infant 36 hastubing 28 attached thereto. As discussed above, the garment may havevarious configurations of fasteners 22 which may comprise tabs 24 andloops 26 that hold the tubing 28. Tubing 28 may be managed according tothe desired positioning of the fasteners 22. For example, FIG. 7E showsa configuration in which the tubing 28 may be positioned such that theuser's arm is free to move. Alternatively, FIGS. 7F and 7G show aconfiguration where tubing 28 is routed over the shoulder of user 40.Regardless of the location of the tubing, the infant 36 may bepositioned within the garment 10 and the user 40 may be covered whilemaintaining skin-to-skin contact, all while the tubing is managed so asto not disturb the user 40 and the infant 36.

FIG. 8 shows a chair cover 44 that may be used in accordance withgarment 10. The chair cover 44 may be placed over a chair 42, forexample, a NICU chair. The chair cover 44 may incorporate variousattachments as used with garment 10 such as the fasteners 22, tabs 24,and loops 26. The chair cover 44 may be adjustable for different sizedrecliner and rocking chairs. In addition, the chair cover 44 may allowfor added management of tubing 28, more security from extubations andless weight and pulling on the user 40. This may eliminate the need forthe user to have tubing 28 taped to their body to keep them in place.Additionally, the weight of the user 40 may hold the chair cover 44 inplace during use. The chair cover 44 may thus allow the tubing 28 of theinfant 36 to be secured in a second location for added safety.

FIG. 9 shows chair cover 44 placed on a chair 42. As seen in FIG. 9 ,the chair cover 44 may have a back cover 46, a seat cover 48, and armcovers 50 a and 50 b. The portions of chair cover 44 may be connected toeach other by any suitable attachment means. The chair cover 44 may havea cover pocket 52 for the user to place her belongings (e.g., a cellularphone) while sitting in the chair 42. The chair cover 44 may have anumber of cover loops 54 similar to the loops 26 on garment 10. Thecover loops 54 may be repositionable and may be used to manage thetubing attached to the infant. The cover loops 54 may be positioned atdifferent angles with respect to the chair 42. Additionally, the coverloops 54 may also have hook-and-loop fastener attachments that mayattach tubes within loops 54, similar to loops 26 of fasteners 22. Toattach the chair cover 44 to a chair, the chair cover 44 may have acover fastener 56 attached to the back cover 46. The cover fastener 56may comprise a strap that wraps around the back portion of chair 42, asseen in FIG. 9 . It should be understood that chair cover 44 may haveany number or configuration of fasteners 22, tabs 24, and loops 26attached thereto.

The fasteners 22, tabs 24, and loops 26 of the garment 10 may also beconfigured as a pillow cover, for example, over a lap pillow. A pillowcover may allow the user's hands and arms to rest in a more naturalposition making it more comfortable ergonomically for the user whileholding the infant in skin-to-skin contact for long periods of time. Thepillow cover may be secured to the user around their waist using a beltbuckle system or another suitable attachment means. Alternatively, thefeatures of garment 10 may be used as an apron-like garment that isconfigured as a waist tied apron garment that may have additionalfasteners 22, tabs 24, and loops 26 attached for more tubing securityand management options.

FIG. 10A shows garment 10 optionally having a plurality of toys 60 forthe infant or child to interact with during care. This variation of thegarment may have a plurality of toy pockets 58 and may be used in thepediatric ICU. The toy pockets 58 may be placed at the bottom of thegarment 10, but it should be understood that pockets can be placed atany location on the garment. The pockets 58 may be attached to thegarment by any suitable attachment means. In some variations, pocketsmay be used to attach medical drains, tubing, or equipment.

The garment 10 may have fasteners 22 attached to the garment 10 for thepurpose of toys 60 being attached thereto. Toys 60 can comprise animals,shapes, or any other design suitable for infants or children. Anyfastener 22 described herein may be used to facilitate the accessibilityof toys 60. The fastener 22 may also have textured tags 62 hanging fromand attached thereto for the infant to touch. Toys 60 and textured tags62 may can have various effects on the infant, such as soothing theinfant, distracting the infant through play, and enhancing motor skills.Play may also be important for neurodevelopment of the infant and assuch, having a toy accessible from the garment 10 could be soothing andreduce anxiety in a hospitalized child. Because of the detachable natureof the toys 60, the infant or child may alternate toys 60 between use onthe garment 10 and outside of the garment 10.

FIG. 10B shows garment 10 having tactile items or toys 60 to soothe ordistract an infant. The infant can play and or fiddle with items thatare attached to the loops 34 or within pockets 58. Puffy shapes 64 mayalso be provided within the garment 10. Such items may be made withmaterial that crinkles such that an infant or child can stroke to soothethem similar to a blanket or stuffed animal. Relatedly, pockets 58themselves may comprise fabric that stimulates an infant or childvisually or by touch.

FIG. 10C shows garment 10 having fasteners 22 added to a back portion ofthe garment 10 to secure lines and tubes so that little hands cannottouch such tubes. Since the fasteners 22 on the garment 10 are generallyused to both hold medical lines and tubes and as a distraction or forplay for the child, fasteners 22 with loops 34 on the back of thegarment 10 may be desirable. The back of the garment 10 may be equippedwith snaps 66 or other fasteners to close the garment 10.

FIGS. 10D and 10E show pockets 58. Pockets 58 may have a snap fasteneror a loop attached within. The pockets 58 may be configured as anothermeans for holding a toy 60.

FIG. 10F shows one example of a fastener having loops 26, toy 60, andtextured tags 62. Toys 60 may be made of soft, puffy material andattached to the fastener 22 such that it extends outwardly from thegarment 10. The textured tags 62 may be configured as any suitablematerial that is appropriate for infants to play with or stroke, such asstandard ribbons. As also seen in FIG. 10F, the entire perimeter of atextured tag 62 can be within the fastener 22. The textured tags 62 maybe made of a crinkly or soft material of which an infant or child cansafely stroke or play with.

FIGS. 10G and 10H show another variation of fastener 22 and toy 60having a plastic holder 68 and toy loop 70 to attach the toy 60 to loop26. This attachment means may allow a user to easily attach and detachtoy 60 from the fastener 22. A C-shaped ring, loop, or other attachmentmeans may be as the plastic holder 68 to attach toy 60. FIG. 10I shows acloser view of the plastic holder 68 and toy loop 70. The plastic holder68 and toy loop 70 connected to the toy 60 may be sized and shaped suchthat the infant or child does not wrap any part around their fingerstightly. Toys 60 may also be attached to garment 10 via loops 26 thatare sewn directly onto the garment 10.

FIGS. 10J to 10M show variations of toys 60 that may be attached withinthe pocket 58 or other positions within the garment 10 in variousconfigurations. For example, the toy 60 may have a snap, loop, or C-ringattached to its back for the purpose of snapping to pocket 58 or beingheld in pocket 58. FIG. 10N shows a toy 60 attached to a fastener 22having snaps. FIG. 10O shows yet another variation of the fastener 22with tubing 28 passed therethrough. Tubing 28 may be passed through thefastener 22 without disturbing the infant playing with toy 60. Fastener22 may be attached and detach to garment 10 or any other garment asdesired.

FIG. 11A show variations of fasteners that can be made using cloth tape72. Such fasteners are similar to fasteners 22 but may be made thinnerusing cloth tape 72 for the purpose of reducing thickness of the garment10 as a whole. The cloth tape 72 may be equipped with cloth tape loops74 along a length of the cloth tape 72. Cloth tape loops 74 may be sewninto the cloth tape 74 or the garment 10 itself through the cloth tape72. Cloth tape loops 74 may be used in a similar manner as loops 26, forexample, for holding tubing, for holding straps to hold tubing, or forattaching toys to the garment 10. As seen in FIG. 11A, the cloth tape 72may be attached along a collar of the garment 10, though it should beunderstood that cloth tape 72 can be attached to any portion of thegarment. FIG. 11B shows a variation of garment 10 with cloth tape 72attached thereto in a different configuration.

Cloth tape 72 may also comprise snap tape 76 having snaps 78 for holdingtubing. One side of snap tape 76 may be attached to cloth tape 72 whileanother side of snap tape 76 may be configured to open via snap 78. Theopen end of snap tape 76 may allow a user to more easily place itemswithin the snap tape 76.

FIGS. 11C and 11D show a closer view of a variation of cloth tape 72.Cloth tape 72 may have both cloth tape loops 74 and snap tape 76attached thereto. As seen in FIG. 11D, cloth tape loop 74 may be used tohold and/or attach a strap 80, which can be closed via material such asVelcro® 82 to hold a catheter, tubing, or the like.

FIG. 12A illustrates a variation of the garment 10 having a wrappedportion 84 for additional support of the infant 36. Wrapped portion 84may provide enough space to hold the infant, providing greater securityto the infant 36 close to the patient's chest as well as an added layerof support and additional modesty for the user 40. Wrapped portion 84may be incorporated into garment 10 or may be a separate material. Toincrease flexibility, wrapped portion 84 may be made out of materialthat stretches (e.g., cotton with spandex or Lycra®). For securement,wrapped portion 84 can be attached to the garment 10 via material suchas Velcro®, snaps, hook and eye, or a zipper.

FIGS. 12B and 12C show wrapped portion straps 86 along the shoulders ofa patient. The wrapped portion 84 can have wrapped portion straps 86attached thereto by suitable attachment means (e.g., sewing). Thewrapped portion straps 86 may comprise fasteners 22 attached thereto fornecessary tubing for the infant 36. Alternatively, fasteners 22 can beattached directly to the garment 10 as described above.

Wrapped portion straps 86 may have loops 26 to hold tubing itself orstraps to hold tubing, such as described above. In another variation,wrapped portion 84 or wrapped portion straps 86 may have fasteners 22 inany configuration as described above.

FIG. 12D illustrates a variation of wrapped portion 84 configured as aninner support, wrap, or sling to help hold the infant. In thisvariation, the wrapped portion 84 may be incorporated into the garment10.

While illustrative examples are described above, it will be apparent toone skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade therein. Moreover, various apparatus or procedures described aboveare also intended to be utilized in combination with one another, aspracticable. The appended claims are intended to cover all such changesand modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment for assisting a user holding an infant,the garment comprising: a first portion and a second portion configuredto overlap the first portion when the garment is worn by the user whileholding the infant, the first portion defining an elongated openingwhich is positioned to provide access through the opening and to theinfant from outside of the garment while the first portion remainscovered by the second portion; a first sleeve and a second sleeve eachextending respectively from the first portion and the second portion;and at least one fastener attached to the garment and positionedrelative to the opening to secure at least part of a tubing or wireextending from the infant.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the atleast one fastener comprises a locking mechanism, wherein the lockingmechanism is configured to pull away from the user when the lockingmechanism transitions from a locked configuration to an unlockedconfiguration.
 3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment comprisesa plurality of fasteners.
 4. The garment of claim 3, wherein theplurality of fasteners each comprises a plurality of loops eachconfigured to hold at least part of the tubing extending from theinfant, wherein the plurality of loops of one of the plurality offasteners extend at different angles with respect to the plurality ofloops of another of the plurality of fasteners.
 5. The garment of claim3, wherein the plurality of fasteners each comprises a lockingmechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to pull away fromthe user when the locking mechanism transitions from a lockedconfiguration to an unlocked configuration.
 6. The garment of claim 1,wherein the elongated opening extends vertically along the firstportion.
 7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the elongated openingextends horizontally along the first portion.
 8. The garment of claim 1,wherein the at least one fastener comprises a plurality of loops eachconfigured to hold at least part of the tubing extending from theinfant.
 9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the plurality of loops areeach placed at different angles with respect to the at least onefastener.
 10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one fasteneris configured to be detached from the garment, and wherein the at leastone fastener is configured to be repositioned on the garment.
 11. Thegarment of claim 1, further comprising a second elongated opening on thesecond portion, the second elongated opening positioned to provideaccess through the opening and to the infant from outside of thegarment.
 12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one fasteneris attached to the garment at the first portion and the first sleeve.13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment further comprisessensing fabrics configured to monitor physiological characteristics ofthe user and the infant.
 14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the atleast one fastener has an L-shape.
 15. The garment of claim 1, whereinthe at least one fastener has a T-shape.
 16. The garment of claim 1,wherein the at least one fastener has a substantially straight shape.17. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one fastener is locatedon the first portion, and wherein the at least one fastener is locatedon the first sleeve or on the second sleeve.
 18. The garment of claim 1,further comprising a cover comprising: a cover configured to be securedto at least a portion of a support for supporting the user, the coverhaving a back portion, a front portion, and a side portion, and at leastone cover fastener attached to the cover, the at least one coverfastener positioned relative to the opening to secure at least part ofthe tubing or wire extending from the infant.
 19. The garment of claim1, wherein the at least one fastener has at least one toy attachedthereto, wherein the at least one toy is configured to be reached by theinfant.
 20. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one fastenerhas at least one tab attached thereto, wherein the at least one tab isconfigured to be reached by the infant.
 21. A method of assisting a userholding an infant, the method comprising the steps of: placing a garmentaround the user and the infant, the garment having a first portion, asecond portion, a first sleeve extending from the first portion, and asecond sleeve extending from the second portion; overlapping the firstportion with the second portion when the garment is worn by the userwhile holding the infant, the first portion defining an elongatedopening which is positioned to provide access through the opening and tothe infant from outside of the garment while the first portion remainscovered by the second portion; and securing at least part of a tubing orwire extending from the infant with at least one fastener positionedrelative to the opening.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprisinglocking the at least one fastener with a locking mechanism, wherein thelocking mechanism is configured to pull away from the user when thelocking mechanism transitions from a locked configuration to an unlockedconfiguration.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the garment comprisesa plurality of fasteners.
 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the atleast one fastener comprises a plurality of loops each configured tohold at least part of the tubing extending from the infant.
 25. Themethod of claim 24, wherein the plurality of loops are each placed atdifferent angles with respect to the at least one fastener.
 26. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising detaching the at least onefastener from the garment, wherein the at least one fastener isconfigured to be repositioned on the garment.
 27. A garment forassisting a user holding an infant, the garment comprising: a firstportion, a second portion, a back portion, a first sleeve extending fromthe first portion, a second sleeve extending from the second portionwherein the first portion defines an elongated opening positioned toprovide access through the opening and to the infant from outside of thegarment while the first portion remains covered by the second portion,wherein the opening can be at least partially closed with at least onetab; a first fastener attached to the garment at the first portion,wherein the first fastener has an L-shape, wherein the first fastenercomprises a locking mechanism, wherein the first fastener comprises aplurality of loops each configured to hold at least part of a medicaltubing extending from the infant; a second fastener attached to thegarment at the second portion, wherein the second fastener has anL-shape, wherein the second fastener comprises a locking mechanism,wherein the second fastener comprises a plurality of loops eachconfigured to hold at least part of the medical tubing extending fromthe infant; a third fastener attached to the garment at the firstportion and the back portion, wherein the third fastener has a T-shape,wherein the third fastener comprises a locking mechanism, wherein thethird fastener comprises a plurality of loops each configured to hold atleast part of the medical tubing extending from the infant; and a fourthfastener attached to the garment at the second portion and the backportion, wherein the fourth fastener has a T-shape, wherein the fourthfastener comprises a locking mechanism, wherein the fourth fastenercomprises a plurality of loops each configured to hold at least part ofthe medical tubing extending from the infant.